Definition

Noun: * A medical condition: Housemaid's knee is the informal name for prepatellar bursitis. It refers to a painful swelling and inflammation of the prepatellar bursa, a small fluid-filled sac located in front of the kneecap (patella). This condition is typically caused by repeated pressure, friction, or trauma to the knee, often from prolonged kneeling.

Usage

• The term is used to describe a specific type of knee injury or inflammation.
• It is a common, non-technical name for the condition, often used in everyday conversation or historical contexts. In formal medical settings, the term "prepatellar bursitis" is preferred.

Examples

• Noun:
  • After weeks of scrubbing floors, the cleaner developed a case of housemaid's knee.
  • The doctor diagnosed the swelling and pain as classic housemaid's knee.
  • Treatment for housemaid's knee often involves rest, ice, and avoiding activities that put pressure on the kneecap.

Advanced Usage

• The term "housemaid's knee" is an example of an eponymous disease name, derived from the occupation historically associated with its frequent occurrence. Similar terms include "tennis elbow" and "clergyman's knee."

Variants and Related Words

• Prepatellar bursitis (n): The formal medical term for housemaid's knee.
• Bursitis (n): The general inflammation of a bursa, which can occur in other joints like the elbow (olecranon bursitis) or hip.

Synonyms

• Prepatellar bursitis: The direct technical synonym.
• Knee bursitis: A more general term that could refer to inflammation of other bursae around the knee.

Antonyms

• There is no direct antonym for a specific medical condition. General opposites would be healthy knee or uninjured knee.

Related Phrases

• To be on one's knees: An idiom meaning to be in a position of supplication or hard work, which is the literal physical action that can cause this condition.
  • He was on his knees for hours gardening, and now he's worried about getting housemaid's knee.

Noun

1. swelling of the bursa in the knee (due to trauma or excessive kneeling)